Since i had sooo many apples this week from my apple picking outing, i decided to make apple muffins. This recipe was inspired by Gwyneth Paltrows cookbook, my father’s daughter.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup spelt flour light

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp sea salt

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

1/2 cup milk of choice – organic, almond, soy

2-3 apples of choice chopped into small cubes

Topping

1/4 cup rolled oats

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup spelt light flour

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp milk

2 tbsp organic butter or earth balance margarine

1/8 tsp sea salt

DIRECTIONS

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Line and spray a 12 cup baking tray or use silicone cups. In a bowl sift flours, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt and cinnamon. In another bowl mix oil, maple syrup and milk. Chop apples and place to the side. Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients and then fold in apples. Scoop batter into muffin cups.

Topping

Combine flours, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, butter and milk. Use you fingers to mix until the topping becomes crumbly. Place topping onto each muffin and then bake for 25-30 minutes. Take out of oven and cool for 5 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Enjoy!

Like this:

This past weekend my family and I went up to a farm to go apple picking. It was a beautiful warm fall day. We went on a hay ride to get to the apple trees. There were three types of apples to pick at the farm. They had McIntosh, Cortland and Spartan. I used the McIntosh apples to make applesauce because they are my personal favourites but you can use any type of apple. The recipe is so simple and I didn’t need to add sugar to sweeten it.

INGREDIENTS

12 apples cut into pieces without the core

1-2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

water

DIRECTIONS

Slice apples with skin on and remove the core. Place apples into a large pot. Add water to the bottom of the pot and then add the cinnamon and vanilla. Cook covered on medium to low temperature. Keep stirring the apples until they are soft. This will take approximately 30-45 minutes. Once the apples are cooked place apples in a strainer with a bowl underneath to remove any liquid. Start to pick out the peels from the apples with a fork and then place into another bowl to blend. Use a hand blender to make the applesauce as smooth as you would like. Enjoy!

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I found this recipe from Sweet Emelyne’s Youtube Channel. Matcha Green Tea Cupcakes! I don’t think there could be anything better then adding Matcha Green Tea to a cupcake recipe. Yum!! I did change some of the ingredients in the recipes to make it a healthier version.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup whole wheat flour – sifted

1/2 cup spelt light flour – sifted

3 tsp baking powder

1 cup cane sugar

1 tsp sea salt

1 cup milk – organic, almond, soy

1/2 cup vegetable oil or earth balance vegan butter

3 tbsp matcha green tea powder

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 organic eggs

Green Tea Buttercream Frosting

1/2 cup earth balance vegan butter

2 cups confectioners’ sugar

2 -3 tbsp milk

1 tbsp matcha green tea powder

DIRECTIONS

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Line and spray muffin cups or use silicone cups. In a large bowl mix flours, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl whisk milk and oil. Add milk and oil mixture to dry ingredients. Beat for a few minutes and then add matcha powder, vanilla extract and eggs. Beat with hand mixer for 2 minutes. Pour mixture into muffin cups. Bake for 20 minutes. Let cool and then transfer to cooling rack.

While cupcakes are baking you can make the icing. In a bowl place butter and 1/3 of the sugar. Mix well. Slowly add the sugar to the butter and continue to mix. Add milk and matcha powder and continue to blend until creamy. If to dry add more milk. You can use a piping bag for the icing or just a spoon. Do not spread icing on cupcakes until completely cooled off. Cut small green straws and place into the cupcakes to resemble a matcha green tea latte. Enjoy!

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Since berry season is coming to an end, i decided to bake a mixed berry muffin for this week. They are healthy and easy to make.

INGREDIENTS

1 tbsp flax seeds, ground

1 cup quick oats

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp sea salt

1 cup buttermilk or milk with 1 tsp lemon juice

1 large organic egg

1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 cup fresh or frozen mixed berries

DIRECTIONS

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Line and spray muffin tray or use silicone muffin cups.

In a small bowl combine oats and buttermilk. Let stand for 5 minutes. In a separate bowl combine whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, sea salt and ground flax seeds. In another bowl mix egg, applesauce, brown sugar and vanilla. Add buttermilk mixture to wet ingredients and mix once again.Stir in flour mixture and then fold in berries. Fill muffin cups with batter and then slice strawberries to garnish each muffin. Bake for 25 minutes or until tooth pick comes out clean. Let stand for 5 minutes and then transfer to calling rack. Enjoy!

Like this:

My muffin of the week uses oat flour. If you don’t have oat flour you can blend oats in a small cuisinart or blender to make flour. These muffins turned out moist and have very little fat. I like to toast them a bit the next day and add some jam inside.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup oat flour

2 tbsp chia seeds

3 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp sea salt

2 bananas mashed

1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce

1 organic large egg

1 tsp vanilla

3/4 cup cane sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 banana for slicing on top of muffin

DIRECTIONS

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Line and spray 12 cup muffin tray or use the silicone muffin cups. In a bowl mix bananas, unsweetened apple sauce, egg and vanilla. Once wet ingredients are mixed properly add oat flour, chia seeds, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt, cane sugar and cinnamon. Mix until combined. Scoop into muffin cups and then add sliced banana on top. Bake for 25 minutes or until firm to touch. Let cool for 5 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack for another 5 minutes. Enjoy!

Like this:

Smoothie bowls are extremely popular lately. Eating healthy and taking care of your body has become more the norm in today’s fast paced society. Recently my family and I visited several smoothie and juice bars. We tried various smoothie bowls and some interesting drinks. The main ingredient in smoothie bowls is the acai berry. This berry is very high in antioxidants and also contains healthy fatty acids. We decided to go on a hunt to see if we could find the acai berry. We managed to find them in the frozen section at a few health food stores, although we have yet to find them at any of the main grocery stores. We bought the acai berries twice which has 4 servings in each package but have also used mixed frozen berries to make the same smoothie bowls. They are great for breakfast, lunch or even as a snack. You can add whatever toppings you desire. I made a simple granola to add on top but you can also purchase a ready made one.

INGREDIENTS

acai berry – 1 package

1 banana

Toppings

granola

blueberries

apples

unsweetened coconut flakes

sunflower seed butter

agave – drizzle if you would like extra sweetness

DIRECTIONS

In a small blender mix frozen acai berry package and 1 banana together until smooth. Take out of blender and scoop into a bowl. Start to place all the yummy toppings. Take your time so it looks as good as it tastes. Enjoy!